Wrapper carrier operating mechanism



May 24, 1949. J. F. HALSTEAD 2,471,389

WRAPPER CARRIER OPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 21, 1945 2 Shets-Sheec 1s HM Patented May 24, 1949 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE WRAPPER CARRIEROPERATING MECHANISM Application March 21, 1945, Serial No. 583,875

4 Claims.

This invention relates to cigar machines, more particularly to themechanism for operating the carrier which transfers the wrapper from thewrapper cutting die to a cigar bunch rolling or wrapper-applying device,and during the rolling operation guides the wrapper through a certainpredetermined path. In the type of wrapper carrier operating mechanismshown in the Wheeler Patent No. 2,235,857, issued March 25, 1941, thewrapper carrier is mounted on a vertical shaft carried by an operatingarm which is pivotally mounted on an arm fastened to an intermittentlyrotating shaft and the wrapper carrier is moved by the operating arm ina closed path. The operating arm is provided with a lateral extensioncarrying a cam follower engaging a cam track of a stationary cam plateto guide the wrapper carrier during the transferring and rollingoperations. Due to the arrangement of the operating arm in theconstruction shown in said Patent No. 2,235,857, the direction of theforce applied by the swinging arm 3| thereof on the cam roller is nearlyat right angles to the cam track. This difficulty is greater with camtracks designed for straight shapes of cigars than for Perfecto shapes.

This difficulty is eliminated in my improved construction by arrangingthe mechanism so that the cam roller is pulled instead of pushed and thedirection of the force applied by the swinging arm 3! thereof thenbecomes nearly parallel with the cam track. The cam track produced bythis arrangement also eliminates abrupt corners, and therefore smoothoperation of the wrapper carrier is assured. By eliminating theextremely high pressure angle and abrupt corners of the cam track anyslight inaccuracy in the manufacturing of these parts will not make thewrapper carrier deviate from its true path nearly as much as in theformer construction. Wear on the working parts is also greatly reduced.

Accordingly one of the main objects of the invention is to provide awrapper carrier operating mechanism wherein the operating arm is pulledinstead of being pushed through the cam track.

The wrapper carrier operating mechanism shown in the above mentionedWheeler Patent No. 2,235,857 also includes a cam piece fastened on theupper end of the shaft which supports the wrapper carrier, this piececarrying a cam roller engaging a second. cam track in the stationary camplate whereby the wrapper carrier is turned to the proper angle forapplying the wrapper to the cigar bunch in the rolling device orwrapper-applying mechanism. At the proper point of this cam track, thestationary cam plate is provided with a roller arranged to engage a slotin one end of the campiece on the upper end of the wrapper carrier shaftto reverse the position of the wrapper carrier while it is returning toits initial position above the wrapper die. Due to the shape of thesecond cam track in the Wheeler Patent No. 2,235,857 construction andthe location of the roller supported by the stationary cam plate, theflag end of the wrapper carrier is first swung outwardly around theshaft supporting the wrapper carrier by the second track and then isswung inwardly by engagement of the stationary. roller with the slot inthe cam piece to the reversed position required at its initial positionabove the wrapper die. With the shape of this cam track in myconstruction, the flag end of the wrapper carrier is not swung outwardlyto any appreciable extent before the slot in the cam piece on thewrapper carrier shaft engages the stationary roller on the cam platewhich turns the wrapper car rier to the reversed position above thewrapper die.

The cam piece on the wrapper carrier shaft of the Wheeler Patent No.2,235,857 is provided with a hook-shaped track in its upper face, andthe cam plate is provided with a second stationary roller. Thehook-shaped track engaged this roller when the position of the wrappercarrier was reversed by the coaction of the first stationary roller withthe slot in the cam piece while the wrapper carrier was approaching thewrapper die. Whenthe wrapper carrier moved away from the wrapper die,and the hook of this cam track passed over the second stationary roller,a locking angle was created which I have eliminated by passing the trackthrough the center of this cam piece and by suitable location of thestationary roller. Accordingly a further object of the invention is toeliminate this locking angle.

Another object of 'my invention is to provide the track in the cam pieceon the wrapper carrier shaft with the proper shape and location to avoidthe unnecessary swinging of the flag end of the wrapper carrieroutwardly before starting on it final path. With my construction of thetrack in the cam piece, the flag end of the wrapper carrier will beswung outwardly very slightly at this portion of the cycle of operations, but with the shape of the track in the cam piece shown in saidWheeler Patent 2,235,857 the flag end will be swung outwardly to a muchgreater extent.

In e a eseeinnaiirihs wihss. wh eh te m a p sf ,tii.i ne eat ildi' ll wich i characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a wrapper transfer equipped with theimproved .wrapper carrier operating mechanism; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional viewpf ,thewrapper carrier operating mechanismtaken ,on tthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, itwill beseen that on a hollow column l0attachedtothe base plate l2 of the cigar rolling machinethermapeprovided bearings (not shown) in which is mounted a ve ca sht-ll .QI .$11-. QW ehd-pfshaftll is secured a bevel bear ,ll 8, driven.vbye bevel gear I I 9 n the dr eshaf J21 p gthesciee machine- C lumn I ina :hellew arm-J3 te minati gin a arin .2 in Which-isjQHi'IAQJQQefillQllQW shaf 5 Pro id d w th-t ssue plugs inctshewn) itsends.

ethe s e Q lil ee iresie teem 2. ng it s nt raehlinits use. l'feee/eerrependingtdthetrack-I! in the ,Wheeler tent-2,235,- 57- bus ne trct-strewn) and eetrespendin to the u h ne :2 sthe Wheeler Pa ent 2,235,57 is prov deden hee aft t1 and this bush n is o el m unted a. .iir g ert-mes ng with a spur s ar 4 fasten. tltenfshait ,25- 321 is f st n d :tthe hub 0f gear [t3 arid. meshe with .e se segmen it iiil ll iid en. alever 1 which {has a ham teller e a! engagin the ra ck in e =11nrsr-ieeni-eemtt Th le e s r ete chested Z-zearried hr index s r drivi g m mber2, fastened ha t t, the tud pass ng i h fi i h areuate slo i erdervteiie nit releleve -d9 ah lthesear L3- he iinetien 9i Jere 10 -t l4 andtux. re tresit it of th wrap er es e itres eaehterele ef :th in end else14 thewrrepeer ter ie -t0 dwell at wrapper-receiving position and at thep sition a h eh naste isga sliedttehe fl e-en 0f the Wra e n ece the drv n es an sm j s eser bed-eerre nehtiszte similar. renumbe ed parts ithe Wheeler hatentfimafifi't tiirt e e c p o o the eeastruetieii anepere n ereo is deemed ,ennee ssasr,

To th lowe end at shatt Z5 s s elapsed th it h w o a helle arm 5 which na bearin on its f ee end, nivo ali sup orts e hollow pera g 33 .r iiiieit etain d mtJ e belt- 4 t t i-he qhserved tha the operating rm-13. :ishee to extend rear e l the etien i islie et hy he at, w in F e- ,2 i iwhich the a tet en 'ei sh form r hearin has nu erhub n erted openingformed in the free endpf 'Ifhe h d 3: is secured its a lY E fic ihaIturnh s in a bea n fer-media the upper end of the a dess rt has openingin the free end of arm 33. Since the manner in which the holder 35 issecured to the shaft 39 is fully described in the Wheeler Patent2,215,490, further description is deemed unnecessary. The wrappercarrier 36 is attached to holder 35 in the manner shown in said WheelerPatent 2,215,490. The Wrapper carrier 38 is provided with perforationsin its bottom whereby the wrapper will adhere thereto when suction isapplied to the interior of the wrapper carrier. The wrapper carrier maybe connected to the sourceof suction through-the arms Y33 and 3i, andparts (not shown) in the shaft 25 in the manner shown in the WheelerPatent 2,215,490 or in any other suitable manner.

From the free end of arm 33 an extension 32 projects upwardly andcarries a cam roller 53.

The rollers 43 and 44 respectively engage tracks 45 and .45 in the,bottom face of a stationary cam plate '4'! attached to bearing 24 of thecolumn E0. The track 46, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2,

-, is interrupted or non-continuous. Like the cam tracks 45 and lfiofthe cam plate A! shown in the WheelerPatent 2,235,857, the cam track 45hereof has the propercontourtoguide the shaft 39 in a predetermined pathand the cam tract: hereof swings the wrapper carrier-.36 to the properangle for applying thewrapperto the parieule s ap of tiger f r which thecam p a 4! is designed. However, it will-be observedthat e shape of :myin t ack .45 has no sha p corners such as shown in ,Fig. .2 of theWheeler Patent 2,235,857, because my operating arm 33 extends rearwardlyof the direction in which the arm 3 I is advanced.

The cam piece 40 fastened-on the upper end of shaft 39 isprovided with aslot 52 in one end thereof and a track 53 in its upper face. At theproper pointsintermediate the ends of track 46 the cam plate-til isprovided with-studs on which rollers 55 and 5fi arexmounted. The roller55 engages the slot52 in cam piece 40 While the wrapper carrier 36 isreturning toits Wrapperreceiviii position above the wrapper-cutting bedafter the carrier has delivered the wrapper to the-Wrapper-applyi-ngmechanism (not shown). When the roller '55 enters-the slot-52 it causesthe shaft 39 to make agfraction of aturn and cam piece 49 assumestherpositionshown in Fig. 2 wherein the wrapper carrier overlies thewrap-- per cutting bed W and the slot 52 is about to leave roller 55 androller 56 enters the track 53. The wrapper carrier 360i the WheelerPatent 2,235,857 approaches the-roller1-55thereof at a i fe nt n lethanmy'wranne earrier,-wherefore th en a ment 0f the slot 52 :inthe mniec i 0 said Wh eler 'patentwith r l r 55 causes the wrapper carrier toswing outwardly beforeit is turned into Wrapper-receiving position.Therefore the head end of the wrapper carrier of said Wheeler patentmust be turned to a eater xtent than the head end of my rapp r ca rierto assume "the wrapper-receivns p t enhe efore the head end of :mywrapper carrier will "travel at a slow speed and thereby eliminate acertain amountof slamming caused by excessive, speed. of .rotationof thewrapper carrier prior to stopping in the wrapper-receiving position.This motion 'is very important on a high speed machine. In order toreduce the speed of :thewrappercarrierof said Wheeler patent at thispoint it would be necessary to increase the speed at the rolling sectionof track 45 which is not desirable.

A wrapper is cut from leaf tobacco manually positioned on the wrappercutting bed before the wrapper carrier reaches the position shown inFig. 2. The construction of the wrapper-cut ting bed W and the cuttingrollers (not shown) which coact with the wrapper die of the cutting bedis fully described in the Wheeler Patent 2,215,490. When the suctionhead L of the wrapper cutting bed W is raised to transfer the cutwrapper to the wrapper carrier 36, while it dwells over the wrappercutting bed, the suction on the suction head is cut off and the suctionapplied to the wrapper carrier at the moment the Wrapper contacts thebottom of the wrapper carrier. Thus the wrapper will adhere to thewrapper carrier bottom and will be transported to the wrapper-applyingmechanism.

While the wrapper carrier 38 overlies the wrapper cutting bed W, itstuck end is located at the right of Fig. 1 and its flag end at the leftof Fig. 1. Then when the wrapper carrier resumes its motion, roller 56passes through the portion 53a of track 53 and the cam piece All isturned with the shaft 39 whereby the tuck end of the wrapper carrier 36is swung inwardly and the roller 44 enters the adjoining end of the camtrack 46 when roller 56 engages the inner end of track section 53a. Itmay be noted that there will be no locking 4 angle between the roller 56and track section 53a when the roller 64 enters track 35. With theconstruction covered by the Wheeler Patent 2,235,- 857, a locking anglewas created by the shape and arrangement of the track 53 on cam piece4|] thereof when the roller 56 entered the track 53. It should also benoted that there is suficient clearance for the roller fifiwhile itpasses through the section 5312 of track 53 to permit the roller 44 tobe guided by track 46 without interference.

The roller 44 is then guided by track 45 Whose contour is such that thewrapper carrier will be turned to proper positions, while the shaft 39is guided in a predetermined path by the engagement of roller 63 withtrack for pasting the flag end of the wrapper and insertion of the tuckend of the wrapper into the wrapper-applying mechanism by a needle (notshown). The continued engagement of roller i lwith track d6 then causesthe wrapper carrier to assume the proper angles for application of thewrapper to the particular shape of cigar for which cam plat-e 41 isdesigned.

It will be understood that in the movement of the wrapper carrier 3'6between the wrapper cutting bed and wrapper-applying mechanism, themovement of the wrapper is cyclically interrupted when the wrapper isdelivered to the wrapper carrier and also when the wrapper carrier islocated above the wrapper-applying mechanism at which position paste isapplied to the wrapper flag by conventional mechanism (not shown). Atuck needle (not shown) of any suitable construction then presses thetuck end of the wrapper against the tuck end of a cigar bunch located inthe bunch rolling mechanism, whereupon the movement of the wrappercarrier is resumed and the wrapper is applied to the cigar bunch in thewrapper-applying mechanism and the wrapper carrier subsequently returnsto a position above the wrapper cutting bed to receive a new wrapper.

It should be noted that when the cam roller 44 of the Wheeler Patent2,235,857 enters the section of the cam track corresponding to theomitted section of my cam track 46, there is sumcient clearance so thatthe wrapper carrier may be reversed without interference. In myconstruction this section of cam track 46 is omitted, because the campiece 40 will be turned to the proper position to cause roller 44 toenter one end of the track after leaving the other end thereof.

What is claimed is:

A wrapper transfer for cigar machines comprising in combination, avertical driven shaft, an elongated member fastened on said shaft andextending radially therefrom, an operating arm having one of its endspivotally mounted on the outer end of said member, a second shaftpivotally mounted in the other end of said operating arm, a wrappercarrier fastened to said second shaft, means for revolving said drivenshaft in one direction to move said carrier in a closed path, astationary cam plate provided with a continuous cam track, and a camfollower connected to the outer end of said operating arm and engagingsaid continuous cam track to guide said second shaft and wrapper carrierin a predetermined closed path from a wrapper-receivin position to awrapper-applying mechanism, said operating arm extending rearwardly fromits pivotal connection to said member in a direction away from thedirection in which said member is moved by said driven shaft, and saidcam track having a predetermined configuration whereby said cam followerwill be pulled along said continuous cam track.

2. A wrapper transfer for cigar machines comprising in combination, avertical driven shaft, a member extending radially from said shaft andfastened on said shaft and adapted to be revolved by said driven shaft,an operating am having one of its ends pivotally mounted on the outerend of said member, said operating arm extending rearwardly of thedirection in which said member is revolved by said driven shaft, asecond shaft pivotally mounted in the other end of said operating arm, awrapper carrier fastened to said second shaft, means for intermittentlyrevolving said driven shaft in one direction to move said carrier in aclosed path from a wrapper-receiving station to a vJrapper applyingmechanism, a Sta-- tionary cam plate provided with a continuous camtrack, a cam follower connected to the outer end of said operating armand engaging said continuous cam track to guide said second shaft andwrapper carrier in a predetermined closed path from thewrapper-receiving station to the wrapper-applying mechanism, saidcontinuous cam track having a predetermined configuration whereby saidcam follower will be pulled along said continuous cam track, a cam piecefastened on said second shaft and provided with a slot in one endthereof and a track in one face thereof, an interrupted cam track formedin said cam plate, a, cam roller mounted on said cam piece and engagingsaid interrupted cam track, and stationary rollers arranged between theends of said interrupted cam track, one of said rollers being arrangedto engage the slot in said cam piece and thereby turn said cam piece toturn the wrapper carrier into wrapper-receiving position at thewrapper-receiving station after the cam roller on said cam piece movesout of one end of the interrupted cam track, and the other of saidrollers being arranged to enter the track on said cam piece after thewrapper carrier has been turned to wrapper-receiving position while thefirst mentioned roller engages said slot whereby movement "of ssaidwrapper z'carrier will :be preventedr at the wrapperereceiving 1position thereof, the track on saidscamipiecehaving1a;predetermined-configuratiUIl-LtO'TtllIfi'lSfiid wrapper carrierintopcsition to cause said-cam *rollertmenter the other end of saidinterrupted .eam track when said wrapper carrier moves: towardthe-wrapper-applyingmechanism from wrapper-receiving position.

3. A wrapper transfer for cigarimachines comprisingincombination, avertical drivenshaft, an enlongated member fastened on saidshaft vandadapted to be revolved by said driven shaft, an operating arm havingoneof its "ends ;.pivotally mountedon-theouter end of said'member and'eX- tendingirear-wardly of the'direction in which said member :isrevolved, a second shaft pivotally mounted inthe other end of saidoperating arm, a wrapper carrier fastenedto said second shaft,meansdor-revolvingsaid drivenshaft in one direction-.tolmove saidcarrierin-a closed path,.a stationary cam plate iprovidedwith-a continuous camtrack,-a,-cam.follower connected to the outer end dfssaidoperating armandengaging said continuous cam track to guide said wrapper carrier-in apredetermined closed pathfrom a wrapper-receiving position to awrapper-applying mechanism, said continuous cam track having apredetermined configuration whereby said cam fol-- lower will be :pulledalong said continuous cam track, a campiece fastened on said secondshaft and provided with :a slot in one end thereof-and a track :in =oneface thereof passing through the axis of rotation of said second shaft,the track in said icam 11312806 having an :operating section extendingfrom its outer end at one :end "of said cam piecednto the-proximity ofsaid'secondshaft, and "the track 'in said cam piecealso lhavingianon-.operatingsection extending'from the second shaft to :theother endof the cam piece, and 2a pairofstationaryrollers, Il610f said rollersbeing arranged :to-engage the slot in said cam piece; and therebyturn-said cam piece'to turn thewrapper carrier '-into wrapper-receivingposition and the other of said rollers havingadiameter closely fittingtheoperatingsection ofthe trackiin-said cam piece and vbeing arrangedtoenter the outer end of the operating section of said track :after thewrappercarrier has been turned to wrapper-receiving position and therebyturn said wrapper carrier lil'ltO a predetermined position when :saidwrapper :carrier is moved toward the Wrapperapplyingimechanism-fromwrapper-receivingposition, the track in said cam piece having apredetermined configuration topermitpassage ofthe roller therethroughwithout encountering a locking=angle.

-54. rIn'ra iwrapper transfer zfor icigar :machines, in combination, avertical driven-shaft, .a member fastened-.omsaiirshaft,an-eperatingarmpivotally mounted at Lone rend 011283161 imember, va secondshaft;pivotal lymounted in the other-end of said operatingiarm,awrapperrcarrier fastened to said second .-.shaft, :means for revolvingsaid driven shaft in One direction =.to move said carrier in a closedpath, *astation'ary: cam plate r provided with arcontinuousicami'tracksin its lower face, a cam follower :on ;said operating armengaging said continuousscam ;track :to; guide said second shaftandwvrapper carrier in a predetermined path-froma:wrapper-Qreceivingiposition to a wrapper-applying-mechanismaacam-piece fastened on the upper end of :said ESBBOIld shaft, said campiece being provided --with=a?s1ot inone end thereof and a track'in,itsiupperface,asecond cam track formed in the lower .faceofsaidrcam-plate, a camroller mounted on said-cam piece-and engaging saidsecond cam=track, a;..primaryrroller supported on the ilowerifacecofsaid-cam plate and arranged toengagelthe-slot in said-cam piece andthereby turn.-said second shaft with the wrapper carrier intowrapper-receivingiposition, and a secondary roller supported on thelower face of said cam plate and :arranged ito engage the track on saidcam piece after the wrapper carrier has been turnedtouwrapperereceivingposition and thereby turn'said wrapper carrier .into anothervpredetermined ;position while :it is moving toward thewrapper-applyingtimechanism, the track in said cam rpiecegpa-ssing.throughthe axis of rotation of said second shaftzand havinganroperating section closelyifittingrsaid secondary rollerand extendingfromzone end of :the cam; piece into the proximity of said-second shaftand anon-operating section extending [from the proximity of said secondshaft totthe'othertendof said cam piece, the track in said-camgpiecezhavinga predetermined configuration to permit :passage of thesecondary roller itherethrough without encountering a looking :angle.

JOHN :F. vHALSTEAD.

WREFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED SEIATLES :PATEN TS Number ame Date "2,215,461 'CIausen Sept. 24,1940 2,215,490 Wheeler Sept. 24, 1940 22351857 Wheeler Mar. 25, 1941

